There are brilliant scholars and there are enthralling teachers. We want to help you merge these qualities. SemClass posts support the student/teacher relationship in ways that bring energy and expertise to both sides of the podium. »

From LMS to MOOC, the technology of teaching is changing faster than we can keep up. Once confident about our content, we are now being asked to present it in radical new ways. Do you need some support in this? Our SemTech bloggers can help. »

Loci is Latin for “localities” or “centers of focus.” It is shorthand for disciplines like comparative religions, theology, hermeneutics and history. We don’t all have the same AOC, and so SemLoci posts will touch on what is unique teaching your discipline. »

The world of higher academics is in flux. Private, public, and seminary institutions are remaking themselves. Studies about how and why students learn are transforming classrooms. Our SemTrends bloggers will help you stay on top of it. »

Each November, droves of Religious Studies educators leave their students to attend the jointly held meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature. Maybe it’s the nametags. Maybe it’s the S.W.A.G. Or maybe it’s just the mutual acknowledgement that in order to catch a pre-conference nap, we too lied to a seatmate about where we are going for the week. The camaraderie that exudes the meeting hall defies definition…

Literature reviews offer a chance to experiment with drawing connections. They train students to attentive to what previous research has said. Like a jazz musician, the seasoned learner knows when to hold ponderous silence, when to harmonize, when to bring some dissonance, and when to breakout with a solo. Ultimately, the literature review is an exercise in active listening….

Few things are sadder than the student who cites a work without the foggiest idea of the author’s argument or its relevance to a discourse. To help my undergraduates clarify the reading process, I have them keep an annotated bibliography of course materials and independent research. “Isn’t that a little much?” Here’s the thing. If a student is going to read something for me, I want them to at least get the point of what they’ve read….

As far as I’m concerned, STEM education is not the enemy, it’s one of our best allies. In my experience, students with STEM backgrounds have an easier time at transitioning from descriptive writing to critical writing. Their theses are clearer; their questions, more profound; their topics, beautifully honed.

The difference lies in the logic undergirding the scientific method. STEM students hold that a good topic is a defined topic. They presume that a good question is an answerable question. And they maintain that a good thesis is a valid thesis. Once they perceive how all three are functions of each other, they can calculate introductions with this in mind….

For those unfamiliar, the flipped classroom reverses the conventional teach-in-class/learn-at-home approach. Instead teachers introduce content in homework lessons, and students practice the material in the classroom. In theory, this will encourage more hands-on learning when students and teachers meet together. With the help of dynamic media, students can interact with content beyond the level afforded by the traditional lecture experience.

Truth be told this is not a novel idea. Math and science educators, for instance, have been implementing this for the past 20 years. Humanities professors frequently harbor anxiety over what it means for our praxis….

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